Cellular concrete sculpture : Floscel’s sparkling artwork !

The origins of cellular concrete carvings

Floscel Aubert was born in Coutances, in the Normandy region of France. His father was a pioneer in the travel industry, creating bespoke one-of-a-kind experiences for clients since the 1950s, and took Floscel with him around the world.

It’s no wonder, then, that Floscel discovered a passion for foreign cultures and languages, as well as the culinary arts, architecture and fine art. Floscel eventually took over his father’s business in 1990 and continued the legacy of taking travelers off the beaten path.

During the COVID outbreak, it suddenly became impossible to travel. You had to keep your mind occupied in other ways. Floscel began to reminisce about the inspirational sculptures that he encountered during his trips. Using the raw material of cellular concrete, which has the characteristic of being very light, he began by sculpting Moai (reproductions of the monumental statues of Easter Island) painted in the colors of aboriginal art.

Cellular concrete sculptures: a material designed by, and for the environment

Throughout his travels, Floscel Aubert has been very keen to offer services and educational content based on the notion of sustainability and eco-tourism. He is attentive to the environment and access to soft mobility, fighting against waste and for natural resource preservation.

 When Floscel was building his barbecue, he chose to use cellular concrete because it is a building material designed with environmental impact in mind. This material was invented in Sweden in 1925 and reproduces a material: tobermorite, a hydrated silicate mineral. Today, cellular concrete is manufactured in France (by Ytong and Siporex).

 Cellular concrete is:

• Composed of naturals materials, including siliceous sand, lime (live or not), and raw cement
• Fiber-free
• Free of volatile organic compounds
• Particle-free
• 80% air (therefore light)

Cellular concrete sculptures: a strong inspiration from his travels

Floscel Aubert first made wood carving before focusing on cellular concrete creations that are inspired by world cultures such as the aborigines (Australia), the Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and the Papou (Papua). The shapes of his statues evoke diverse references, from the angular structures of the Moaï (Easter Island) to faces inspired by African masks to the symbols and colors of Oceania and the Amazon…

Other elements of inspiration include the achievements of great architects such as Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer in Brazil or Tadao Ando in Japan, as well as street art throughout the world.

Cellular concrete sculptures: the achievements

The first of Floscel’s projects were made from small drops of cellular concrete. This is how he first made his chess sets « Ibiza » and then « Easter Island ». The name of the “Ibiza” chess board comes from the eponymous island, where he frequently visits for his travel organizations. The chess pieces are cheerful with vibrant faces, big lips, and big eyes all with very bright colors.

The “Easter Island” chessboard design is a mixture of monumental statues Moaï (form), and aboriginal art (with colored dots).

From the more voluminous cellular concrete material, Floscel first sculpted a series called “The Sibling” composed of 5 pieces (each between 11 and 14 inches tall). The Moaï heads evolved with softer shapes, in bright colors but also pastels with dashes of aboriginal inspiration. The use of intricate dots became one of Floscel’s trademarks.

He then reproduced much larger chess pieces (each 12 to 13 inches tall). In this series he sculpted:

• King Pepito and Queen Pepita,
• The Blue Rock
• The Blue Knight
• The Blue Crazy Bishop (who has 8 faces!).

In addition, Floscel has also carved other objects, including a bottle for a winemaker named « Drink-me », an owl called « Hiboo », a candlestick, and more.

And whenever Floscel has a board of cellular concrete leftover, he creates small paintings, such as “4 Looks” (12 x 9 inches) or larger paintings including “Oceania” (21 x 18 inches), “The 9 Faces” (20 x 15 inches).